Resilient wheel



Apr. 1G, i923.

H. M. PATCH ET AL' RES'ILIENT WHEEL Filed Oct.

' ATTORNEY Patented Apr. l0, 1923.

y UNITED STATES PATENToFFIca.

HARRY m. PATCH AND IiIcHAan n. noMNEY, ossmTTLE, WASHINGTON, AssIGNons To ELLIS BESILIENT WHEEL-ConPonATIoN, E SEATTLE, WASHINGTON; A con- PoaATI'oN or WASHINGTON.

RESILIENT WHEEL.

Appueatimiea october 4,1920. seran m.4'14,s2s.-'

provements in Resilient Vlieels, of which the following is a specification.'

' This 4invention relates to vehicle wheels which are providedinteriorly with a. plurality of resilient bodies. in lieu of inflated tires.

The object ofour invention is to effect im*-l provements in the constructidn of'wheels of this character whereby the wheel structure is strengthened, and the resiliency increased with a more even distribution of the strains and stresses to which the wheelV is subjected when travelling (and to enable'the vehicle to which the wheels are applied to be more easily propelled7 with greater comfort to the These-improvements consist principally in the peculiar construction and combination of .25 thewheel plate elements of the hub and rim l. members, and'in the peculiar resilient con'- nections between the respective plate elements.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevational view with part of an outer plate broken away; Fig. 2

is a sectional yview taken lthrough 2-2 of Fig; 1; Fig.' 3 is a fragmentary transversei sectional View of a portion of a wheel to illustrate'a modification of the invention disclosed in the preceding views; and Fig. i is a' side elevational view of one of the resilient bodies shown in Fig. 3.1#

'In said drawings, 5 represents awrm of channel'shape to. receive the tire or tread 6 whichis preferably of rubber. 7 represents a hubv provided,.as shown, with a peripheral f 'fange 8 at one of its ends.

,45" InFigs. 1 and 2, the rim 5 is mounted upon a lf'lly 9 having centrally of its width a web 1 0 of annular shape withan inner d'1'- ain/eter:I eater than the diameter of the hub 7. Sal felly web is provided in its .opposite sides with a seriesof axial aligned cavities disposed in a circle concentric of the felly and of 'truncated conical forms to afford plane inner surfaces 11 and tapering peripheral surfaces 1 2.

passing through the tubular {Between the adjacent pairs of 4such cavities said web is provided with apertures 13 which are arranged to have their. axes in lie circle of the axes of the aforesaid cavi'- ies.

Between the felly 9 and said cavities-said web is formed with ac ircumferentially arranged chamber .14 to provide two walls which `are spaced apartto .have their outer surfaces 16 in the planes of the outer ledges of the respective cavity walls'urfaces 12.

The felly web 10 extends into the space between two side'plates17 which with the hub 7 constitutev a casing, saidside plates being provided with sleeve elements 18 which are fitted uponE the hub and to which the-plats 17 lare rigidly secured by bolts 19 engaging in holesprovided in .the hub flange 8.

The diameterof said casing is sufficient to extend radially `of the wheel beyond said web cavities.

Provided upon each plate 17 -interiorly of the casing is a ser'es of cavities formed by the provisionA of ci cular ribs 20 as shown in Fig.. 2. Thecavities in the casing are furthermore arranged to face or bejin opposed 'relations with the cavities in. the sidesof the web and, like such web cavities, have plane inner surfaces 21 and tapering peripheral. surfaces 22.

Adjacent.y to 'the outer periphery of the plates 17, the 'same are provided with recessed portions 23 having tubular extensions 24.- located to extend into the respective web apertures 1 3. 525 represent headed bolts parts 24 to receivenuts 26.

These'bolts and nuts serve supplementary V to the bolts 19 to couplethe plates together and render the casin rigid.

- In practice, comp ementary parts 24 are of lengths to bebrought into juxtaposition Vwith each other when held by the respectiveV bolts andserve to maintain the plates at a. suitable. distance apart.y v By providing recesses to accommodate the nuts'26l and heads of :bolts 25 and by locating the plate cavities entirely 'withinv the casing we provide .for

vthe latterouter surfaces 27 having no protuberances. i

lositioned within the spaces afforded by the complementary 1cavities of the web 10 and casing' lates 17 are Kdisk shaped .bodies 28 'of a resi lent material, such as rubber.

los

-' ries of disks 281 instead of two series.

Said disks are each of a thickness to nor-- mally extend between lthe respective cavity walls-1l and 21- andof a diameter'to con- -tact circumferentiallyl with the respective peripheral walls 12 and 22. In order to` accommodate the distortion ofthe disks when subjected to shearing stresses said disks are recessed in their opposite sides as indicated by 29 in Figs. l and.

2, or they may be apertured as indicated by 291 with respect to the disks 281 illustrated in lFigs. 3 and 4.

By such devices allowance is made for ex pansion and contraction of the material composing the resilient bodies, and they enable the employment of disks instead of' balls vto accordingly occupy less transverse space with equal or greater quantity of material.

In the modification shown in Fig. 3, the vario-us parts corresponding to those de- 'scribed with respect to Figs. 1 and 2 are denoted by primed (1) similar reference characters.

' In such modification we employ four 'steo accommodate such additional disks two felly web elements 101 are used and also a )artition plate element 172 which divides t e interior vof the casing, asfshown. The partition element 17.2 isprovided at opposite sides with circular ribs 202 enclosing cavities for the reception of disks as The construction, operation and advantages of our invention will, it is thought be understood from the foregoing description.

What we claim is,-

1. In a vehicle wheel, alternating inner and outer overlapping annular parts provided withv opposing cavities, resilient circular plates provided in the respective cavities, and means extending through apertures provided in the inner of said parts for rigidly securing the outer parts together and a ording -movements thereto with respect to' Athe inner of said' parts.

2. In a vehicle wheel, the combination -With -a casing comprising two outer plates,

a hub rigidly secured to said plates, and a felly member having a web-.element interposed between said casing plates, 'said plates and web element being provided with opposin cavities, ofmeans extending through said web element and disposed adjacent to theouter peripheries of said plates formaintaining the latter. at definite distances apart and resilient disks provided within the complementary cavities of the plate and web member andy bearing against the end v lwhen subjected to' shearing action.

walls of said cavities and tending'to 'main tam said member midway between the adjacent plates.

3. In a vehicle wheel, a felly having an inwardly directed web element, a hub, plates extending outwardly from the hub, means for rigidly securing said. plates to thehub said web and plates being rovided with series of opposed cup sha-pe cavities, and circular rubber plates seated in the complementary cavities, and having their axes ar# ranged parallel with the wheel axis.

4. In a vehicle wheel, a fel-ly havingan inwardlydirected web element, a hub, .plates extending outwardly from the hub, means for rigidly securing said plates to the .hub and in spaced relatlons with eac-h other, said web and plates being provided with series of opposed cup shaped cavities, and circular rub-ber plates seated in the complementary cavities, said rubber plates being formed' with spaces to accommodate the material thereof when the rubber plates are .distorte 5. lIn a vehicle wheel, the combination of a felly having an apertured web element provided with a. series of cavities in each side,a casing comprising the wheel hub and a circular plate disposed at each side of -the felly web and .rigidly secured to the hub, said plates being provided with cavities facing the respective cavities of said web, bolts extending through the web apertures for coupling the plates, and circular plates of .rubber seated within the laterally opposed cavities of the web and the first named plates.

6. In a vehicle wheel, the combination of a felly having an apertureol webelement provided with a series of' cavities'in each side,a casing having circular plates disposed at opposite sides of the felly web, said plate being provided 4with cavities facing the respepctive cavities of said web, plate spacing means provided within the web apertures,

bolts extending through the web apertures4 and cooperating with said spacing means for securing said plates against movements with respect to each other for coupling the plates, and rubber bodies seated within the laterally opposed cavities of the web and plates.

Signed at day of .September 1920.

HARRY M; PATCH. niermann n. RoMNnr.

Witnesses:

PIERRE BARNES, MARGARET G. SUPPLE.

Seattle, Washington, .this 27th 

